PRIMARY EDUCATION

"The medium of instruction and examinations at the Junior Basic
stage must be the mother tongue of the child."

The Government of India, soon after independence, adopted a
definite policy favouring the use of mother tongue at the primary
level of education.

Our Constitution has given special importance to primary
education through the mother tongue. Article 350(A) of the
Constitution spells out:

"It shall be the endeavour of every State and of
every local authority within the state to provide
adequate facilities for instruction in the mother
tongue at the primary stage of education to, children
belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the
President may issue such directions to any State as he
considers necessary or proper for securing the provision
of such facilities."

In 1956, a Memorandum of safeguards for linguistic minorities was
issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Memorandum, making
special mention of primary education says:

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"The directions which may be issued by the President under Article
350(A) of the Constitution as it is proposed to be enacted into law
are likely to be based on the resolution accepted by the Provincial
Education Ministers' Conference in August, 1949. The intention is
that the arrangements which were generally accepted at this conference
should be brought into force in States and Areas where they have not
been adopted so far."

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, in its Press
Note issued on July 14, 1958 containing a statement on language,
said "facilities should be provided for instruction and
examination in the Urdu language at the primary stage to all
children whose mother tongue is declared by the parent or
guardian to be Urdu."

Provincial Education Ministers' Conference evolved a 10:40
formula in 1949. The formula provides for the appointment of at least
one language teacher if the total number of pupils belonging to a
linguistic minority is 40 in a school or 10 in a class.

All those witnesses who deposed before Gujral Committee during
the year 1972 to 1975, expressed their dissatisfaction over the
working of the 10:40 formula and its implementation. Keeping in view
the failure of the working of this formula, Gujral Committee
recommended that:

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(i) where in an urban or rural area, such as village,
town or municipal ward, Urdu speakers constitute ten per
cent of the total population, at least one Urdu medium
primary school should be set up. Wherever necessary,the
number of such schools may be increased. These
schools should not be exclusively of one medium.
Efforts should be made to keep Urdu and non-Urdu medium
students at the same school to avoid segregation;

(ii) in areas at the village or the municipal ward
level where Urdu speakers form less than ten per cent of
the population, there should be provision of an Urdu
teacher in such schools as are likely to get a minimum
of ten students. This likelihood will be determined on
the basis of the population of the children of Urdu
speaking persons of school going age in a particular
locality; and

(iii) to tide over the immediate difficulty that will
arise by a sudden demand for such a large number of
teachers, we recommend the appointment of bilingual
teachers in the schools mentioned in category (ii)
above. The existing staff may also be given incentives
to learn Urdu and the incentive may take the form of an
allowance or an advance increment or a lumpsum reward.
(4.132)

State-wise position of teaching through Urdu medium at primary
stage is given below:
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Andhra Pradesh:

In Andhra Pradesh, primary education covers class I to V.
According to the Government statement, there were, in 1987-88, 1135
Urdu medium primary schools in the state where Urdu medium parallel
classes were being run.

The Committee observed that as compared to the figures of the
previous year i.e. 1986-87, there has been a decline both in the
number of schools as well as students. In that year, the figures of
schools was 1141 and of schools with parallel class was 1358 (1986-
87). There is also a fall in the number of students in the same
period from 1,59,505 to 1,38,203.

Bihar

In Bihar, Primary Education covers Classes I to V. The State
spokesman apprised this Committee orally that the number of Urdu
medium primary schools in their State was 5500.

The Government officers as well as Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Bihar)
and Urdu representatives informed this Committee that the number of
schools in which Urdu was being taught as a subject out-numbered Urdu
medium primary schools.

The Convenor of this Sub-Committee wrote to the Education
Secretary long before the visit of the Sub-Committee to prepare the
statistical data based on the questionnaire, which the convenor sent
to him, but the State Government gave the figures orally and did not
give anything in writing.

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Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities in his report right from
1967-68 to 1984-85 (latest report), has been persistently complaining
that Bihar Government does not provide statistical data regarding the
number of Urdu medium primary, secondary and higher secondary schools
in the state. Many Urdu organisations complained that existing
primary schools were not sufficient to cater to the needs of the Urdu
Linguistic Minority.

Delhi

There are 83 Urdu medium Primary Schools run by Delhi Municipal
Corporation and 12 run by the New Delhi Municipal Committee. One non-
official told us that the number of primary schools is inadequate
compared to the population of Urdu speakers in Delhi and New Delhi.
It was also brought to the notice of the Committee that there are many
pockets where the Urdu speakers are in majority but not a single Urdu
medium Urdu Primary school exists in those areas.

Gujarat:

In Gujarat State, Primary education covers from Classes I to VII.

Classes VIII, IX and X are included in the Secondary schools, and
+2 (i.e. 11th and 12th) are located in High Schools.

There are 29,000 Primary Schools in Gujarat. Among them 161 are
Urdu medium schools out of which 92 are in Ahmedabad City alone.
Total number of students (boys and girls together) is 48,000.

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Looking at the spread of Urdu population, it is evident that more
Urdu medium primary schools are required. Urdu medium parallel
classes could be opened in Gujarati medium schools. Primary schools
are under a statutory body, District Primary Education Committee,
under the Panchayat Act. District Primary Education Officer, category
is the member secretary of this Committee.

Haryana

There is only one primary school in Sikwara and it is being run
by a private Organisation. Urdu, however, is being taught as subject
in 46 primary schools.

Himachal Pradesh

There is not a single Urdu medium primary school in Himachal
Pradesh.

Karnataka

In Karnataka, Primary education covers Classes I to VII and High
School is from classes VIII to X. Plus Two (+2) is Junior College and
followed by the University education.

The number of Urdu medium primary schools in the state in 21
districts is 2,853 with 4,62,666 students and 11,136 teachers.

However, the non-officials complained that sufficient number of
Urdu medium High Schools were not there. In Bangalore itself there
was no Urdu medium High School. The officials claimed that

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they had reached saturation point with regard to High Schools.
This was contested by non-officials and also the Commission
representative.

There was a general demand that Urdu medium pre-primary education
should be introduced in Balwadis and Anganwadis teaching in Urdu
should be set up where there are primary
schools.

It was reported that in the area covered by erstwhile Mysore
State, the tendency is to opt for English medium and in the areas
added on November 1, 1956, the tendency is to go in for the mother-
tongue medium.

Since long, the private schools were eligible for grant-inaid,
after completion of three years from date of permission. Currently,
as per G.O. No. ED. 87 PGG 85, Bangalore, dated April 18, 1985, the
eligibility has been extended to seven years, due to which the
minority Urdu institutions are suffering a lot. In the interest of
justice to the Urdu minority educational institutions, it is essential
that they get the grant-in-aid, at least after completion of three
years from the date of permission as it was done in the past, though
Gujral Committee had recommended relaxation in the case of Urdu
Institutions.

One of the basic issues is that of starting of Urdu
Balwadis/Anganwadis and Nursery schools attached to main primary
schools in Urdu populated localities in the State. This was promised
by the previous Government and a G.O. was also issued to open Urdu
Centres of Balwadis/Anganwadis in the state, but it was

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not implemented. There is an urgent need to start Urdu Centres of
Balwadis/Anganwadis to properly feed the primary schools.

Maharashtra

In the State of Maharashtra, the primary education covers classes
I to V.

In Maharashtra, there are 2,103 Urdu medium schools and the
strength of students is 2,29,439 boys and 2,75,715 girls making a
total of 5,05,154 students. The number of teachers is 7,521 male and
7,286 female making a total of 14,807 teachers.

The Elementary schools are managed by Zila Parishads and
Municipal Councils. In addition to these Urdu medium schools, the
State has parallel Urdu medium classes in Marathi and Hindi schools.
The state has in all 291 schools which run parallel Urdu medium
classes. In these classes 15,856 boys and 24,232 girls are studying.
On behalf of the State Government of Maharashtra, Zila Parishads
manage these schools.

Urdu representatives suggested that the minority schools
management should be given permission, without undue delay, to open
Urdu medium primary, secondary and technical schools on grant-in-aid
basis and the schools run by the Urdu Linguistic Minority should be
given grant-in-aid on time.

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Rajasthan

In Rajasthan, primary education covers from Classes I to V.

The spokesman of the Department of Education of Rajasthan was not
in a position to furnish the statistical data regarding the number of
Urdu medium primary, secondary and higher secondary schools in
Rajasthan inspite of the fact that the Convenor of the Sub-Committee
had sent in advance a questionnaire to the Department of Education
with a request to furnish the data.

Anjuman Tarraqqi Urdu (Rajasthan) conducted an educational survey
some time ago. According to the memorandum submitted to the Sub-
Committee by the Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Rajasthan), there are 150 Urdu
primary Government schools in the State out of which only 73 are with
Urdu medium and in the rest of the schools, Urdu is being taught as a
subject. Anjuman Taraqqi Urdu (Rajasthan) and many other Urdu
organisations complained that these facilities are far too inadequate
in comparison to Urdu speaking population of Rajasthan.

Uttar Pradesh

In Uttar Pradesh, according to the information provided by the
officers of the Department of Education, there are 1375 Urdu medium
primary schools to serve a population of 10,767,175 Urdu speakers.
Obviously, the number of these schools bears no proportion to the
population of Urdu speakers of Uttar Pradesh.

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These 1375 Urdu medium Primary schools are run by the linguistic
minority itself. These schools were previously known as Islamia
Primary Schools. Initially these schools were given a partial grant.
Presently, they are fully financed by the State Government and are
known as Urdu Medium Primary Schools.

It was complained by the witnesses that before 1962 the number of
these schools was four times their present strength. It was also
alleged that because of the discouragement, discrimination and hostile
attitude against Urdu medium schools, the number of these schools
gradually declined every year.

According to the 24th report by Deputy Commissioner for
Linguistic Minorities the number of Urdu medium primary schools was
1778 in 1983-84, which indicates that there is a decrease of 205
schools inspite of the fact that the population of Urdu speakers has
increased in the meantime.

The State Government spokesman informed the Sub-Committee orally
that Urdu was being taught as a language subject in 4453 primary
schools. However, the Deputy Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities
in his report, gives the number of such schools as 3690. This
indicates an upward trend.

Regarding these schools Government claims that in every primary
school, run by Nagar Palika, one Urdu teacher had been appointed. On
the contrary, Urdu representatives complained that there was still a
large number of schools where no Urdu teacher had been appointed.
Following complaints were also made by Urdu representatives in respect
of these schools:

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(i) the Urdu period is not shown in the school time-
table. The result is that in most of the schools there
are Urdu teachers but they do not find time to teach
Urdu and teachers are not willing to teach after school
hours;

(ii) the marks secured in Urdu are not added to the
aggregate, which makes the students non-serious about
Urdu subject; and

(iii) curriculum for Primary Schools, prepared by the
Department of Education, does not include the syllabus
of Urdu.

In response to a question by a member of this Sub-Committee
regarding 10:40 formula, a spokesman of the Department of Education
told that whenever there were a minimum of 10 students in a class and
40 in the school, arrangements for teaching Urdu as a subject were
made. When the spokesman was told that 10:40 formula was modified by
Gujral Committee which recommended a provision of atleast one Urdu
medium school in areas where Urdu speaking population was 10% and in
areas where Urdu speakers from less than 10% of the population there
should be provision of an Urdu teacher in such schools as are likely
to get a minimum of 10 students, the officer concerned expressed
ignorance of this.

West Bengal

In the state of West Bengal, Primary education covers classes I
to V. State Government spokesman informed the SubCommittee that
Primary Education was being imparted through the

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students' mother tongue. According to the spokesman, the
students whose mother tongue is Urdu, have been provided all necessary
facilities to get their education in Urdu. There are 220 Urdu medium
primary schools in the State. These schools are being run by the
District Schools Board in the rural areas, and by the Municipality and
District School Boards in the urban areas. Besides, there is a large
number of Urdu medium primary schools and Madarasas, which are
recognised and fully financed by the State Government. The Government
officers were not, however, in a position to specify the number of
such schools.

It was complained in a memorandum, submitted by Anjuman Taraqqi
Urdu (West Bengal) to this Sub-Committee, that 45 unrecognised Urdu
medium primary schools were trying to get the recognition since long.
All Bengal Urdu Primary Teacher's Association also submitted a
memorandum to this Sub-Committee in which it was complained that in
addition to these 45 unrecognised schools there were quite a number of
schools which were also unrecognised. It is demanded by these
organisations that West Bengal Urdu Academy should give at least Rs.
300/- per month to each teacher working in these unrecognised schools,
till the time the schools are recognised by the Government.